Back-filler



H. J. BENTSON.

BACK FILLER.

APPLICAHON FILED NOV. 2,1918. Lggfi g j Patented June 7, 19218 3 SHEETSSHEET I.

H. J. BENTSON.

BACK FILLER. APPLICAHON FILED NOV.2, 1918 if mpg g Patented June '7 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

H. J. BENTSON.

BACK FILLER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 2,1918. l fifi h Patented June 7, 19216 3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

HANS J. IBENTSON, F WINTHROP HARBOR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BAGK-FILLER. V

Application filed November 2, 1918. ,Serial No. 260,827.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANS J. BENTSON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Back-Fillers, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to machines for returning the excavated dirt to a trench, after the tile has been laid therein, a mach ne of this kind, when used for this particular purpose, being ordinarily known as a back filler.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved back filler of the foregoing general character. v

A special object is to provide an 1mproved construction and arrangement whereby a 'machine of this kind may be handled and controlled in a more satisfactory manner than heretofore.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and the serviceability of a back filler of this particular construction.

To these and other useful ends the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is an end elevation of a back filler embodying the principles of the invention, showing the middle portion of the boom broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine shown in Fig. 1, with the boom shown broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 3 is.a side elevation of said machine, with the boom omitted.

As thus illustrated, the invention com prises a body frame 1 suitably supported upon caterpillar traction devices 2 of any suitable, known or approvedcharacter. An engine 3 is mounted at one side of the body frame and is connected by a sprocket chain 4 with the shaft 5 which is arranged to extend longitudinally of thebody frame. The shaft 5 is provided at its rear end with a bevel pinion 6 which engages the bevel gears 7 and 8 which are loose 'on the shaft 9, a splined clutch member 10 belng 1nterposed between the two bevel gears, on the shaft 9, so that the latter can be rotated in either. direction by shifting said clutch one way or the other. A hand lever 11 is suitably connected for controlling said clutch by the driver occupying the seat 12 at the rear of the machine. The caterpillars 2 are driven from the shaft 9 through the sprocket belt connections 13, and through clutches 14 on the shaft 9, these clutches being controlled by hand levers 15 in front of the driver. Through the medium of the clutches 14 the transmission of power from the shaft 9 to the caterpillars 2 can be controlled at will, so that either caterpillar can be driven independently of the other, or whereby they may be driven in unison. Through the medium of the clutch 10 the caterpillars can be driven either forward or backward. A friction brake 16 on the shaft 9 is controlled by a foot pedal 17 so that the tractive power may be retarded when necessary.

The apparatus for hauling or shifting the dirt back into the trench is as follows: A boom 18 is pivoted at 19 on the side of the body frame, and is thereby adapted to swing up and down, being supported by a cable 20 which is suitably attached at the outer end of the boom, and which is arranged over suitable sheaves, including the sheaves 21 and 22 and 23 at the top of the upright frame 24, the lower end of said cable being wound upon the drum 25 which is operated by the worm gearing 26, whereby the boom may be adjusted or raised and lowered at will. A scraper 27 is provided, being adapted to be dragged along the ground to shift the dirt into the trench. Said scraper israised and lowered by a hoist line28 which extends over the sheave 29 on the outer endof the boom, and which is wound upon the drum 30 on the shaft 5; and a drag line 31 connects the scraper with the drum 32, wherebya drag line scraper is provided for pulling the dirt back into the trench. The drum 30 is loose on the shaft 5, but is adapted to be connected thereto by the clutch 33, which may be of any suitable character, and which is controlled through suitable connections with the hand lever 34 in front of the driver. The drum 32 is loose on the longitudinal shaft 35 but is adapted to be connected thereto by the clutch device 36 which is controlled by the hand lever 37 in front of the driver. The

Patented June 7, 1921.

shaft 5 is connected with the shaft 35 through gearing 38 and with this arrangement either drum can be driven at will, and the clutches 33 and 36 being preferably friction clutches, it follows that the two drums can be controlled in the well known manner, thereby to hoist the scraper 27 or pull it along the ground at will.

Theback filler thus constructed may be used as follows: The caterpillars 2 having been operated to place the body of the machine in proper position at one side of the trench, with'the boom 18 extending across the trench and over the spoil bank at the other side, the scraper 27 is then lowered until it rests upon the excavated dirt, and the drag line 31 is then operated to haul the scraper along the ground, thus pulling a load of dirt into the trench. The scraper is then again hoisted and swung back and lowered upon the spoil bank or excavated dirt, and this operation is repeated until all of the dirt, or a sufiicient portion thereof, has been shifted back into the trench to cover the tile which was laid therein. 1

As the entire machine is supported upon the two caterpillars,- which are reversible, and which can be controlled independently ofeach other, it follows that the boom 18 can be swung laterally substantially as though the body of the machine were mounted upon a turn-table. By operating one of the caterpillars in one direction, the boom will be swung in the opposite direction, and a reversal of the motion of the caterpillar will then swing the boom in the opposite direction. If the outside caterpillar be employed for this purpose, leaving the other caterpillar stationary or undriven directly below the pivoted portion of the boom, the effect will be to swing the boom about avertical axis approximately at the center of the stationary caterpillar. On the other hand, if the inside caterpillar be operated one way or the other, then the entire machine will move and the boom will swing laterally about a vertical axis approximately at the center of the outside caterpillar. In this way, no turn-table is necessary, the boom being movable'laterally at will and at the same time the machine can be propelled across the fields and steered to the right or the left at will. The engine and outside caterpillar tend to counterbalance the boom and the weight of the scraper.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In an excavator, a body frame, a boom projecting laterally from one side thereof,

\ isaosae an excavating device supported by said boom, means on the body to operate and control said device, traction means at the outer side of the body, traction means disposed at the inner side of the body and below the boom, and power-transmitting connections for driving said traction means independently of each other, either backward or forward, thereby to swing the boom laterally in either direction.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said traction means each comprising a caterpillar, and the entire machine being supported by the two caterpillars, the said boom being arranged to extend outwardly over the middle portion of the inside caterpillar, whereby if the outside caterpillar is operated the boom will swing laterally about a vertical axis approximately at the center of the inside caterpillar, and the two caterpillars being directly opposite each other, so that by operating the inside caterpillar the boom is swung laterally about a vertical axis approximately at the center of the outside caterpillar.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, the means for operating and controlling the excavating device comprising a pair of winding drums with lines extending therefrom to said device, and said power-transmitting connections comprising a shaft extending through one of said drums, a transverse shaft having clutches and connections for driving the traction means and reversible gearing interposed between said drum shaft and said transverse shaft, together with means to control said clutches, so that either traction means can be operated in either direction at will.

4;. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a body, traction means at ing from the body to serve as a crane arm, hoisting means on said boom, and combined drivingand steering mechanism to operate and control said traction means, so that the machine is steered to the right or the left by controlling the transmission of power to said traction means, and whereby the said boom is swung laterally.

5. In an excavating machine the combination of a body, excavating means acting laterally of the body, traction means located on opposite sides of the body and independently operable to turn the body and present the excavating means at different angles to the work.

HANS J. BENTSON.

DBSOLAEMER= 1,380,944.-Hans J. Bentson, Winthrop Harbor, Ill. BACK-FILLER. Patent dated June 7, 1921. Disclaimer filed March 7,- 1929, by the assignee by mesne assignments, Austin Machinery Corporation. Hereby enters this disclaimer and disclaims from the scope of the claims of said patent all excavating equipment and apparatus except back-fillers, i. e. machines or apparatus for returning excavated earth to a trench or other cavity.

[Oflicial Gazette April .9, 1929.] 

